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In this special episode of Take It To The Board, the podcast hits the road for its first-ever live taping at the Cooperator Trade Show & Expo in Fort Lauderdale. Host Donna DiMaggio Berger is joined by professional engineer Evan Swaysland, president of Swaysland Professional Engineering Consultants, for a clear-eyed discussion of Florida’s mandatory milestone inspections and Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS)—and what they really mean for the safety and longevity of multifamily buildings.

Donna and Evan break down the shift from visual inspections to comprehensive, post-Surfside evaluations, explaining why many aging buildings trigger Phase Two inspections and what “immediate” repairs look like in real-world practice. They unpack common trouble spots like balconies, waterproofing systems, and incidental damage during restoration, while offering practical guidance on reading inspection reports, budgeting with SIRS, and moving efficiently from inspections to repairs.

The conversation also explores emerging issues, including coastal subsidence research, construction-related vibration risks, and how monitoring and documentation can protect both buildings and legal interests. Listeners will learn how to hire the right engineer, scope projects intelligently, and focus on preventive maintenance—not just reactive fixes.

Conversation Highlights:

• How the industry has shifted from viewing inspections as a reactive measure to embracing a more preventative and predictive model of building safety
• The top three misconceptions boards or residents commonly have about structural inspections
• The first structural conditions an engineer typically evaluates, and what signals whether a building has been well maintained or neglected
• Warning signs that require monitoring, and urgent conditions that rise to the level of life safety concerns
• The typical cost range for a Milestone Inspection, and which factors most significantly influence that cost (i.e. building size, age, location, and structural complexity)
• What does a high-quality Milestone Inspection involve that most directors or unit owners may not fully appreciate?
• Differences between a Milestone Inspection and a SIRS
• Are the current Milestone Inspection and SIRS frameworks adequate to identify subsidence-related risks, or do policies and protocols need to evolve?
• Key differences between “settling,” “sinking,” and “sinkholes” from an engineering perspective
• Early signs of subsidence or sinkhole activity and what remediation typically involves
• How volunteer boards can become better, more informed consumers when selecting an engineering firm
• BONUS: If there is one essential truth about structural safety every Florida board should understand, what is it?

Related Links:

• Podcast: Everything You Need to Know About Concrete Restoration Projects with Alessandra Bianchini, of Carousel Development and Restoration Inc.
• Resource: Swaysland Professional Engineering Consultants

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The most dangerous scam isn’t the one you’ve never heard of, it’s the one that feels urgent, secret, and strangely personal. Take It To The Board host Donna DiMaggio Berger sits down with Paul Greenwood, who led San Diego’s elder abuse prosecution unit for 22 years, to unpack how fraudsters weaponize emotion, AI, and routine technology to separate people from their savings. From “Granny, I’m in jail” calls to deepfake audio, from bogus jury-duty warrants to polished romance profiles, they trace the tactics that work across ages and communities—and show you how to avoid disaster.

Together, Donna and Paul explain why the core script rarely changes: act now, tell no one, pay in untraceable ways. He shares the S.C.A.M. method—Stop, Check, Ask, Mention—as a simple, repeatable defense that anyone can use before clicking a link or transferring funds. They dig into voice cloning, video generation, and how call centers in repurposed casinos run large-scale romance-investment schemes. You’ll hear why isolation is a critical red flag, how caregivers and even professionals can exploit access, and how a short letter to your parent’s bank can trigger real oversight. They also describe the first-hour playbook if you’ve been hit: contact your bank, file a police report, and submit to ic3.gov while reaching out to merchants or crypto kiosks to freeze wallets fast.

For condo and HOA leaders, this conversation doubles as a toolkit for community safety: host fraud-prevention workshops, use clear language in newsletters, and create a simple reporting pathway that protects privacy while mobilizing help. Paul’s courtroom stories reveal the true cost of fraud—lost homes, shattered health, and lingering shame—and why judges, banks, and families must treat it with the seriousness it deserves. You’ll leave with practical steps, tested scripts, and resources to share with parents, neighbors, and boards.

Conversation Highlights:

• A breakdown of the most common scams targeting consumers today
• The three red flags every listener should memorize before answering a call, opening an email, or clicking a link
• How victims can move past shame and take action—reporting scams and starting the recovery process
• Which scams are surging right now (romance, tech support, government impostors, investment and crypto) and what makes each one so convincing
• The one bank or retailer safeguard that could prevent a significant portion of scam losses if implemented tomorrow
• Debunking the myth that only older generations fall victim to scams—and how Millennials and Gen Z are targeted differently
• How HOAs and condo associations can play a meaningful role in fraud prevention, from newsletters and lobby screens to manager training
• Red flags that expose illegitimate door-to-door contractors after storms—and what associations should communicate to residents right away
• A one-minute checklist listeners can use to protect themselves and their families, covering phones, email, banking, passwords, and credit freezes
• The single scam line everyone should hang up on immediately

Related Links:

• Resource: Common Frauds and Scams
• Article: Government Issues Scam Alert for Corporate Transparency Act
• Resource: What are some common types of scams?

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In this special year-end episode, host Donna DiMaggio Berger and producer Claude Jennings cut through the noise and reveal the real shifts that changed how community associations operate—from high-stakes legal challenges to the everyday pressures managers and volunteer directors face on the ground. This isn’t just a recap. It’s a reality check.

Donna and Claude revisit their most talked-about conversations of the year, including:

• Building a company worth selling — insights from a top property management leader on culture, systems, and long-game strategy.
• A former Florida Condominium Ombudsman who demystified what meaningful government support should look like.
• A Shark Tank founder whose flood-ready product offers communities a rare gift: storm prep that actually works.

They also spotlight two sleeper-hit episodes that delivered outsized value:

• A pest control strategist explaining modern, low-toxicity treatments and how understanding pest behavior can save buildings money, time, and disruption.
• An etiquette expert who reframed neighbor conflict as a communication skill—not a personality flaw—and showed how diplomacy, positive intent, and smart email habits can avert half your headaches.
• A guest who revealed the common gaps in most communities' screening and security protocols and how to address them.

One of the year’s most sobering discussions came from immigration attorney Ira Kurzban, who explained why every association needs a well-defined ICE response protocol—long before it’s needed.

And yes, Donna and Claude revisit the throughline in almost every episode: Artificial Intelligence. Is the guest's industry going to be impacted by AI, what can AI do well, what it can’t, and why “AI wrote it” is not a substitute for human judgment.

If your community is ready to shift from reactive crisis management to proactive prevention, this 2025 wrap-up pulls together the year’s most powerful lessons into clear, actionable takeaways you can put to work immediately—whether you’re a board member, manager, or industry professional.

Related Links:

• Firm Bio: Donna DiMaggio Berger
• Podcast: Take It To The Board’s 100th Episode Milestone— From Building Castle Group to Industry Icon: A Conversation with James Donnelly
• Podcast: Important Insights from Florida’s Former Condominium Ombudsman
• Podcast: Storm-Ready in Seconds: How Shark Tank’s StormBag Is Changing Hurricane and Severe Weather Prep
• Podcast: Monsters In The Walls — Pest Control Truths for Condos and HOAs
• Podcast: Mind Your Manners: Restoring Respect in Condo, Cooperative and HOA Communities
• Podcast: Screening Vendors and Service People for Enhanced Security